Julius was born the 22nd of April, 1832. he was raised in the town Adams, New York. He later moved with his parents and grandfather to Monroe, Michigan. Julius was sent to Wesleyan Seminary at the age of fourteen.

Before Julius was to graduate, one of his teachers, Dr. J. Adams Allen, was dismissed. Julius and one of his friends held a mass protest against the dismissal, which lead to Julius being expelled, which he was later readmitted after signing a conditional document.

The Creation of Arbor Day

He married his wife (Caroline Joy French) in 1854, and built a 30 room mansion. Around the mansion he started to plant trees. Morton began educating people about trees and the benifits of planting them. This led to the creation of Arbor Day, his greatest achievement. Through his actions he was appointed the 3rd US Secretary of Agriculture in 1893.